1916-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

From the inaugural year of Adolph Weinman's beloved Winged Liberty Head design, the 1916-S Mercury Dime RPM-001 displays a repunched S mint mark shifted to the east (S/S East). Cataloged with die markers UVC-233 and DMR-002, this variety documents the misaligned secondary impression of the San Francisco mint mark, where the initial punch landed slightly west of the intended position before being corrected with a second strike. Repunched mint mark varieties are exclusive to the era of hand-punched mint marks, which continued through approximately 1990, and first-year issues like the 1916-S Mercury Dime carry heightened numismatic significance. While the 1916-D Mercury Dime commands enormous premiums as the key date of the series, the 1916-S is itself a better-date coin with strong collector demand, and RPM-001 adds variety collecting appeal to an already desirable issue. Examining the S mint mark under magnification for the telltale shadow of the first impression displaced to the west confirms this attribution.

Die Markers

• UVC-233, DMR-002

External References